Zemgus Girgensons, left, a center from Latvia, pulls on a Buffalo Sabres sweater after being chosen 14th overall in the first round of the NHL hockey draft in June.

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The first session of Buffalo Sabres development camp wasn't even an hour old and it had become quite clear what Zemgus Girgensons is all about as a hockey player.

The drill was a two-on-two "game," taking place on a shrunken ice surface. Each end zone was eliminated and the nets were moved to the blue lines. Thus, the rink consisted just of the neutral zone, so the ability to maneuver in tight areas was critical.

Girgensons attacked on right wing, made a move, had his shot blocked, got it back, shot again and then, as the rebound bounced out into the slot, he dived and took a one-handed swat at the puck. ...